Carl Icahn, who currently seeks to oust Yahoo’s board of directors, debuted his own blog, The Icahn Report, last week. The controversial investor first stated his intention to launch a blog in February, reports Reuters.
The Orlando Sentinel will be the first Tribune Co. newspaper to unveil its new design, in a move described as “going cartoon” by Alan Mutter in his Reflections of a Newsosaur blog. The Baltimore Sun and the Los Angeles Times will be the next to see major changes in look.
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Bloggers are younger and better educated but earn less than the general U.S. adult (18+) population - and they are more likely to be single, male, and actively engaged in new media, according to a study by BIGresearch, MarketingCharts reports.
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African-Americans say the values of middle class and poor blacks are diverging, and many also say blacks can no longer be thought of as a single race because of greater diversity among their community, according to a new Pew Research Center survey, writes MarketingCharts.
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A new business journalism start-up could soon be joining the ranks of other newbies such as the Fox Business Network and Conde Nast’s Portfolio: Slate is considering launching a separate site next year devoted to news and opinion.
In the ongoing discussion about Second Life, opinions differ. Many think it’s a frivolous fad; others, including its investors, believe it’s what the web will become - a full-fledge virtual world where thousands of businesses can sprout up, much like eBay did with the first incarnation of the web.
The much-buzzed-about show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip premiered to respectable audiences, but then lost 30 percent of that audience over the next two weeks, despite hot reviews and strong media buyer support.
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The ultimate fate of newspapers has been questioned in recent months, as subscribers flee to the internet and ad spend slowly diminishes, but dire predictions about their longevity is nothing new.
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The overall number of new magazines launching in 2006 is expected to plummet 17 percent from last year, marking the first decrease since 2001, predicts Samir Husni, a University of Mississippi journalism professor who tracks the industry, according to New York Business.
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As the world of consumer media widens, the radio industry must develop new methods of reaching listeners and new forms of media to populate with content if it hopes to prosper, believes Mark Mays, Clear Channel CEO.
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ABC will lead the other networks in adults 18-49 in the fourth quarter, though it will be a tough competition, Carat USA predicts. The network will benefit from its promising drama, The Nine, paired with Lost on Wednesdays. Thursdays - the most competitive night in television, some have been calling it - ABC airs the popular Grey’s Anatomy and the hit Dancing with the Stars. And of course the network still has Desperate Housewives on Sunday nights.
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Jordis Rosenquest, senior vice president of communications strategy for Targetbase, part of Omnicom Group’s Diversified Agency Services division, says that satellite radio may provide a perfect vehicle for a new generation of direct marketers, MediaPost reports.
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In a movement that would likely settle the argument that has stalled this year’s broadcast TV upfront negotiations, networks have been expected to yield to buyers’ demands that deals be based on “live” ratings rather than Nielsen Media Research’s Live Plus 7 day ratings, meaning advertisers might not have to pay for extra ratings from time-shifted viewing on DVRs, according to several media buying execs, writes MediaPost.
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Martha Stewart’s new lifestyle magazine, Blueprint, debuted May 1, surprising media people hung up on the revival efforts for her flagship title, Martha Stewart Living, writes Media Life. Now, media buyers say that Blueprint is a magazine that will do well, potentially creating a new genre within women’s titles.
The test issue had 48 ad pages, including Liz Claiborne, Nestle, Crate & Barrel and Anheuser-Busch. A second Blueprint issue hits stands Aug. 28.
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Anti-media activists will join consumer groups today to register their collective opposition to the proposed $67 billion AT&T BellSouth reunion, just meeting the FCC deadline for submitting comments on the suggested merger that could speed AT&T into the TV industry, writes Broadcasting & Cable. By June 6, the groups said they would announce “new activities and strategies” to stop the deal.
Last month, it was reported that AT&T is spending $4.6 billion on efforts to provide TV over broadband in up to 20 U.S. markets by the end of the year, reaching some 19 million homes across more than 40 markets by the end of 2008
Paul “Cubby” Bryant, the longtime Z-100 New York radio personality, will join Whoopi Goldberg as her sidekick on her upcoming morning show “Wake Up with Whoopi,” which will begin airing weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on July 31 in national syndication from WKTU-FM New York, writes Radio Ink.
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The FCC has announced its conclusion that laws against indecent broadcasts were violated during CBS’ airing of the 2004 Super Bowl display of Janet Jackson’s breast, writes Radio Ink. The FCC also said that it would not reconsider its ruling to fine CBS stations $550,000 for the incident, which may now be one step closer to a possible court date, Adweek writes.
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According to results released from Jacobs Media’s technology poll conducted in February 2006, XM and Sirius are now equally popular, with current satellite radio subscribers selecting either XM or Sirius largely because of the programming and marketing strategies employed by each company, writes Billboard Radio Monitor.
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Fisher Communications has signed a $33.3 million deal to sell twenty-four of its small-market radio stations to Cherry Creek Radio, in a deal expected to close in Q3, writes Radio Ink.
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According to Erika Kathryn Nardini, vp and media director for Digitas, to be successful in spite of current changes in online and offline media buying, media buyers must “apply strategic marketing principles in an intelligent yet fluid manner” and “support strategic use of buying clout with actionable learning, innovation and insight,” writes iMedia.
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